Youth an important force in achieving carbon neutrality

China's technological innovation is strong because the country's huge market is a driving force that promotes technological innovation along with research and development, said Liu Hengwei, executive vice-president of Engie China.

China's strong manufacturing capability can also turn technology into low-cost products, which can speed up the application of new technologies worldwide, especially in developing countries, to promote global emissions reduction, Liu said.

Young people should be aware that zero emissions is the trend and devote themselves to this cause, Liu said. For example, they can focus on R&D, as well as the spreading and exchange of new technology. They can also promote technological capacity-building by holding workshops to explain new technologies, he said.

Carbon neutrality is not an option, said Wang Yuejun, EHS deputy director of Yili Group. From a large perspective, carbon neutrality will build a community with a shared future for mankind. From a small perspective, it will directly affect the future development and layout of an enterprise.

At the beginning of 2010, Yili Group started carbon footprint accounting in one pilot factory and established a team for carbon footprint accounting, and promoted it to the whole group in 2011.

In April this year, the company launched a carbon neutrality project to check the carbon footprint of all product categories throughout their whole life cycle, Wang said.